Monmouth Park to Host Metcalf Memorial Steeplechase

Breeders' Cup Steeplechase contenders Tres Touche, Sur La Tete and Pelagos are part of the eight-horse field entered for Sunday's $75,000 Metcalf Memorial (NSA-II) at Monmouth Park. The 2 1/2-mile hurdle stakes, Monmouth's first steeplechase since 1992, is the last jump prep for the Oct. 23 $175,000 Breeders' Cup (NSA- I) at Far Hills.

Tres Touche won the Sept. 2 New York Turf Writers Cup (NSA-I) at Saratoga and recently passed the $500,000 mark in lifetime jump earnings. Only eight U.S. jumpers have earned that much.

The 7-year-old, owned by Barracuda Stable and trained at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland by Ricky Hendriks, is enjoying the best season of his career with two wins and $134,010 in earnings.

Regular jockey David Bentley has the call at top weight of 158 pounds. "His biggest forte is his jumping - he gets lengths at his hurdles," said Bentley in Saratoga. "You probably don't realize it watching, but if you're getting a length at each fence it adds up and can be very important late in a race, especially when horses are trying to catch you. He always gives 10 percent. He's so tough and honest."

In just his second season of steeplechasing, the 6-year-old son of Sky Classic, Sur La Tete has bloomed into a horse people talk about. Owned by Kinross Farm and trained by Neil Morris in Virginia, Sur La Tete took two-thirds of the Steeplechase Triple Crown this spring (and was third in the other stage) and leads all 2004 jumpers with $134,560 in earnings.

He makes his first start in open company (the Triple Crown races are restricted stakes) at Monmouth. In his last start, Sur La Tete won the June 3 Meadow Brook (NSA- I) at Belmont Park by 3 1/2 lengths.